Automated banking machines are known in the prior art. A common type of automated banking machine used by consumers is an Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”). Customers of financial institutions may perform banking transactions, make inquiries concerning the status of their accounts, obtain cash, make deposits, pay bills, and obtain other banking services using automated teller machines. Typically the customer uses a magnetically encoded card that is inserted into the machine. The customer also inputs a personal identification number that allows the automated teller machine to verify the customer's identity. After the customer has conducted its transactions, the customer's card is returned along with one or more receipts which document the transactions conducted.
There are a number of different types of automated teller machines (ATMs). Some automated teller machines are designed to be inside the wall of a bank and have their customer interface extending through the wall of the bank. This enables customers to conduct their transactions without entering the bank either in a walk-up or drive-up fashion. This type of configuration is known as a “through-the-wall” configuration.
Other ATM units are designed to be freestanding either in the lobby of a bank or other commercial establishment. In these cases the entire ATM unit is placed on the floor and made operable by appropriate cabling. The lobby type ATMs have the advantage that they are much easier to install than a through-the-wall type machine.
In the past, some lobby ATM units and through-the-wall ATM units have been made specifically for the type of installation in which they will be used. This is because of the different environmental and security requirements for lobby and through-the-wall units. Although many of the components used in both types of units are the same, different components were necessary to meet the different operating conditions.
Another problem that has occurred with some prior machines is that when an ATM is installed within a facility, there must not only be room for the device, but there must also be provided sufficient area surrounding the machine for servicing. This is because ATMs require periodic replenishment of currency and supplies such as receipt forms, removal of customer deposits that have been deposited in the machine, and maintenance. To provide the necessary access for servicing, substantial space must be provided. This space is required to enable a service technician to swing open an access door and work on the components inside the ATM.
Significant space is also sometimes required for servicing an ATM because it is often unrealistic to service or repair components within the tight confines of the ATM enclosure. As a result, some components have been mounted on a chassis that can be slid out of the machine to better expose the components that require periodic servicing. Such chassis often occupy a substantial part of the overall width of the ATM enclosure. The service technician has generally been required to have access both behind and to the sides of the extended chassis to service the components thereon. As a result, in positioning the ATM provisions must be made to enable the technician not only to extend any components to their full servicing position but also to provide space for the technician to stand and move while conducting service operations.
The requirement of providing access space for servicing increases the amount of space required for an ATM installation. As a result, the housing for a through-the-wall ATM must often be larger than might otherwise be desired. Likewise, lobby unit ATMs cannot be generally mounted flush against a wall or in line with other self-service machines. This means that the lobby ATM must sometimes be generally free standing and requires surrounding unproductive floor space. In addition, the fact that persons could gain access to several sides of a lobby ATM unit increases the risk of attack by burglars as well as increases the opportunities for theft of the entire unit.
Automated banking machines also include electronic circuitry necessary for their operation. Generally such circuitry includes a plurality of circuit card assemblies, power supplies, switches, and other devices that are necessary to achieve operation of the machine. In the manufacture of automated banking machines, provision must be made for mounting circuit card assemblies and for routing wiring which interconnects circuit card assemblies to other circuit card assemblies and electrical devices within the machine. Generally because circuit card assemblies include a circuit board with electronic components mounted thereto, care must be taken to minimize the risk that improper electrical contact will be made with either side of the circuit card assembly. This is because conductive paths are generally exposed on each side of the card. In addition, it is often desirable to have circuit card assemblies disposed away from other surfaces so as to facilitate the dissipation of heat that may be generated by components on the card. Automated banking machine circuit card assemblies are generally mounted through fasteners that extend through the cards at the corners or in other areas where there are no electrical pathways. In addition, the surface of the card is generally offset from adjacent surfaces using appropriate spacers or other devices that will keep the conductive surfaces of the card disposed away from adjacent parts of the banking machine.
In the assembly of automated banking machines, generally circuit card assemblies and other devices must be mounted within the machine and then connected by appropriate wiring before the operation of such items in the use of the machine can be tested. If a problem is found after the items are installed, diagnosing the problem and removing the particular circuit card assembly that is malfunctioning can be more difficult. The same can also be true when malfunctions occur after the banking machine has been deployed. Conventional mounting of circuit card assemblies in ATMs can make it difficult to trouble shoot problems to identify malfunctioning items and to replace them.
A further drawback associated with some forms of banking machines is that the mounting of circuit card assemblies and other components is unique to the particular type of machine in which the components are mounted. Thus for example, a machine which is designed to be serviced from the front will have a different arrangement of circuit card assemblies and mounting within the machine compared to an ATM that is built to be serviced from the rear. This may further add cost to manufacturing processes and increase the complexity associated with testing and servicing the machines after they have been deployed.